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Step By Step
Five Keys to Driving Flexo Business
F
lexography has had the majority share
of package printing for some time, and
forecasts out as far as 2020 believe this will
continue. The rise of flexo has come in
tandem with advancements in technology, which
continue to be refined and iterated upon at an
accelerated rate. The cycle is a virtuous one, where
these advancements lead to efficiencies and make
flexo more appealing. That brings more printers
and suppliers into the fold, leads to research and
development funneled into the industry and pro-
motes continued advancements.
Specific to flexography, we’ve seen developments in plate technology
and exposure methods, plate mounting procedures, print unit and
press design, anilox rollers, inks, and curing and drying systems. And
as that cycle continues, all of these will see further refinement and
advancement.
What’s the best way to stay on top of all these changes? How to know
which technologies are worth investing in and which are lip service or
empty promises? Smithers Pira, in its Flexographic Printing: The Five
Critical Steps to Drive Your Business Forward, states that, “Whether
an individual flexographic printing concern will flourish or not in the
new environment will depend to a large extent on its technological
investment decisions and how it adapts to changes in technology.”
And as the name of the report implies, the market researcher offers
five steps to pushing flexo businesses forward:
• Optimize prepress workflow to boost quality and turnaround
• Improved plate materials and imaging (by bringing computer to
plate (CTP) in house?)
• Anilox technology, link to ink and plates to boost process color
• Growing use of process color to replace multiple spot colors,
reducing changeover and waste
• Better press control through use of independent servo motors to
improve setup
PREPRESS OPTIMIZATION
Smithers Pira’s report contends that the prepress portion of the flexog-
raphic process is where the greatest changes have been. Some of those
changes include:
• Plate technology has seen enhanced imaging, with CTP exposure
improving reproduction quality, dynamic range and detail
• Converters and printers are providing additional service to
customers by bringing CTP in house
• Better inks, more efficient curing and a wider variety of offerings
“High quality print, increased
efficiency, higher productivity
and improved sustainability
are the desired results to boost
the competitive position of
flexography.
”
26 FLEXO | JANUARY 2015
INDUSTRY INDICATORS